Search Results for : Cumulus

KINGMAN, ARIZ. — Where? Kingman is north of Phoenix and isn’t far from the popular soaring site of Mingus Mountain. Why am I here? Because BRS hires a large aircraft here to drop heavy weights as the company conducts final R&D tests for the Cirrus parachute. Cirrus will certify their four-seater SR20 early next year and it comes standard with a BRS ‘chute system. • Now to product news… I told you last month that I had some accessories I couldn’t fit it. ••• First off is the Dust Devil, a wind indicator but with a difference. You won’t have to go to a landing field and set up poles and flags or wind socks. Instead you can carry the indicator with you, whether on a local or cross country flight. Huh? Yep, Ray Bauer of San Diego has developed a simple, low cost device that should help all your landings be into the wind.

ST. PAUL, MINN. — As I prepare for the big Oshkosh Airshow (like getting ready to meet an 800-pound gorilla, say some), I’m baffled by surging interest in powered trikes. For years, European producers have tried to sell these machines to Americans. It was always slow going because those who knew weight shift, delta-winged flying (that’s US!!) overwhelmingly didn’t want to fly with power. And the guys who wanted engines on their birds didn’t know weight shift. How to bridge the gap? Whatever method they used — it isn’t clear to me and I’m a close observer — trikes have gotten much hotter lately. Sales are happening and pilots are flying. • Now… why do I prattle on about this in a hang gliding magazine!? Because these people are showing an interest in our kind of wings, that’s why. • USHGA leadership is taking steps to find new members to grow the association and along comes a new and growing number pilots who at least like the type of wings we have.

ST. PAUL, MINN. — Summer’s hot and so’s the season. Here we go as the summer thermal season reaches a zenith. El Niño is predicted to cause fluctuations in worldwide agriculture this year, acting up as it reportedly does on a ten-year cycle. Dependent as we both are on weather patterns, Niño is also of interest to hang glider pilots… (Gee, do we have any hang gliding farmers?) ••• I was excited to hear through air show hang gliding pilot, Dan Buchanan, that Brightstar is nearing the end of development on their new Millennium. This is a folding wing Swift-type glider based on that same sexy planform and computer-enhanced aerodynamics that made the Swift a winner. It will use a D-cell construction with very light fabric wings. Dan reports the ribs cleverly fold against the D-tube as part of the folding process. • He also relayed an impression that it flew slower and appeared easier to fly than the Swift.

DUNLAP, TENN. — Back in the Chattanooga area and up at Henson Gap for Memorial Day weekend, I was hoping to do a lot of soaring on the newly completed Cumulus motorglider. However, with only one day remaining, a stationary weather system was foiling those plans. Meanwhile I had some time to put out another "Product Lines." So, on with the news, as promised last month. ••• First off, congratulations are deserved for friend and fellow USHGA Board of Director member, Pete Lehmann. He can now claim he flew the longest flight in the east, no slight feat after worthy accomplishments in the past. Previous marks had been held by Mike Neuman (135 mile Penn. state record), the more difficult 157 mile East Coast Record by Tony Smolder, and the east of the Mississippi record by Larry Bunner (178 miles). Pete managed an excellent 182 miles on May 7th. He’s already written an interesting account of the accomplishment but I wanted to add my appreciation of fine flying by an excellent pilot.

ST. PAUL, MINN — Back home after attending the big Sun ‘n Fun airshow and just before that another USHGA board of directors meeting in Colorado Springs (the HQ of the association for those of you just back from another planet). ••• One of the evenings involved a little party at Yoo-shga offices. While the directors and a crowd of perhaps 50 persons milled about, someone pulled old copies of this magazine off the neatly organized shelves. Editor Gil Dodgen, myself, and several others enjoyed the memory lane trip of rifling through the old rags. • As many of you recall, this column, starting its nineteenth year with this issue (!!), is a take off from the old Bill Allen "Flying Bull" column that ran back in the late ’70s. When Bill had to step down, he called for a writer to succeed him. When none came forth, I adapted — and always gave credit to Bill for — his style within my own Whole Air magazine.

ST. PAUL, MINN — We’re in the high season now, and except for the excess moisture in some parts of the country, hopefully it’ll be a year for some excellent flying. One place this will happen in in North Carolina at the oldest ongoing hang gliding event in the world. ••• In just a few days, the Kitty Hawk Kites 25th Annual Hang Gliding Spectacular Competition will combine with the USHGA National Fly-in. Those of you who can ought to trek to Jockey’s Ridge in Nags Head, NC and make the event. It should prove memorable… and not just because it is probably the oldest HG event in the world. • Stars will be present: WW prez, Rob Kells; long distance king, Larry Tudor; writer/meet director/gear seller, GW Meadows… oh, the cast of characters goes on. • An action-packed event is planned with a key element being the flying. A great time of year on the Outer Banks, you can soar the famous sand dune that has trained more hang glider pilots than any other in the world, or you can aero tow at the relatively nearby Currituck Flight Park.

ST. PAUL, MINN — Back home in cold country after a couple delightful months in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area. Soon the season will heat up… and so will the soaring. News surrounds that pleasant development. ••• Moyes has introduced their version of the topless phenomenon that appears to be sweeping the entire design world. The down-under company will call theirs the CSX, saying it is based on the Super Xtralight SX series. • "Due to its use of carbon fiber," Moyes says, "[it] draws upon the technological leaps and bounds made by the massively funded America’s Cup yachting industry." They explained further saying, "The CSX’s center crossbars and divesticks come courtesy of one of the foremost yacht-makers who have been utilizing composite fibers for years." • Moyes also says it is using "Sail Propensity, or SP," which they define as, "an exciting new sail twist innovation which alters the sail’s wingtip loading based on the glider’s angle of attack." • While most glider builders do all their fabrication in house, Moyes continues to outsource work like the carbon fiber parts and even sail making.

HENSON’S GAP, TENN. — When I have the opportunity to write from Dunlap, TN — the self-declared "Hang Gliding Capital of the East" — I enjoy writing "Henson’s Gap" at the head of this column. I’m still here and loving it. ••• News this month includes some different stuff. First is a fascinating project just getting underway by my old friend, Tim Morley. Many Californians know Tim and a number of others will remember him as the longtime Wills Wing touring rep (a few souls before Larry Tudor took over nearly a decade ago). After his WW tenure, Tim had an accident when flying tandem. A fairly minor incident injured his spine in a way that took him out of foot-launched hang gliding. Talking to him on the phone, you’d never know, so upbeat is his attitude and enthusiasm for light flight. • Morley’s got a great idea to help disabled folks sample light flight.

ST. PAUL, MINN. — Back from warm San Diego to the "Deep Freeze" of Minnesota, I’m still in shock. It’s already hit 25 below zero and we have an average "snow load" of nearly 40 inches, the most snow ever on record for this time of year. Oh, brother! Good news, though. My wife Randee and I are splitting the snow scene for a two month respite. Yup! We’re headed to Chattanooga for the months of January and February, so you needn’t shed any tears for us this winter. In fact this is no vacation; instead it is an off-site working situation that we’ve been carefully arranging for several years. You’ll note a new address at the bottom of this old-timer column, BUT… the address will change back to Minnesota on about March 1st. So, if you’re one of the many who are kind enough to send along your opinions or news, do so to the address below only through the end of February.

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. — Topless fever is coming! Relax! I’m not talking about the famous nude beach in this southern California city which last month hosted the USHGA board of directors. Of course, I’m talking about gliders without kingposts or upper rigging. Only a couple months ago, I relayed the thoughts of a German competition official who felt America was behind the times because our manufacturers were not embracing this new idea. I speculated myself that it might be another fad like scoops were not long ago. But in the months ahead, you will hear about topless entries from Wills Wing and Pacific Airwave. These will add to the Laminar ST, Terry Reynold’s new glider, and of course, the glider that started it all, the La Mouette Topless (although this brand has only a tiny presence in the U.S. market). ••• Rob Kells of Wills Wing confirmed they expect to put such a kingpostless glider on the market in 1997.